Volume 4 Chapter 4 – The Elders’ Council

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Translated by Rain

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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Luoyang Sword Family.

Elders’ Hall, Grand Assembly Hall.

Whenever Elder Yeom attended the regular meetings of the Elders’ Hall, he always strove to maintain the tension of just before entering a combat operation.

To the point of awakening his senses as much as possible, but not to the point where his body froze due to tension.

Whenever he maintained such moderate tension, there were times when his intuition whispered to him.

Just like right now.

“I inform you that the next agenda is regarding the replacement or deletion of terms not used in the Sword Family Code, and the establishment of deficient terms.”

The fellow elder sitting next to him let out a small sigh.

“…It is the most boring time.”

If it were normal times, Elder Yeom would also have had no reason not to agree, of course.

For him of warrior origin, it was one of the most terrible times.

But for some reason, the back of his neck was itchy and his nose was ticklish, which was somewhat unusual.

“…As terms subject to replacement or deletion…”

Already, those who were dozing were emerging in succession.

“…Therefore, as examples of designating and expressing this….”

In any case, such scholarly agenda was designed to be moved to the subcommittee of the Elders’ Hall to be handled.

Then it was the portion for the fellow elders who had devoted decades to that task within each faction to resolve.

The rest would usually follow that opinion.

“…Subsequently, regarding the establishment of deficient terms as the third agenda….”

But today, he had a certain conviction that he should not do so.

“…The terms corresponding to this are: long service, confinement, brave retreat….”

He snapped awake.

‘Look at this…?’

Tapping the dozing elder of the same faction beside him to wake him, he directed his gaze to the elders belonging to the factions of the Second Young Master and the Third Young Master.

Interestingly, they wore bored looks, but none of them dozed or yawned.

It was the moment Elder Yeom’s intuition turned into conviction.

“…Therefore, this agenda, as usual, will undergo a simple vote to transfer it to the subcommittee….”

And the one who sensed something strange was the Elders’ Hall Chief, who was leaning back and half-asleep.

“Wait!”

Despite his small build, he was an old man who was called a ‘little giant’ in some quarters as a possessor of brilliant achievements.

“Who is it?! The bastard who is playing this kind of game?!”

Standing on his desk, he shouted curses.

His cursing, harsh remarks, and eccentric behavior could only be seen during the Elders’ Council meetings, which were conducted in a completely closed format.

“I surely must have said this? The bastard who tries to bury an important agenda in a subcommittee and pass it like this, I will find him and kill him!”

Although it was a shout containing not a single ounce of internal energy in accordance with the strict internal rules, it resounded loudly throughout the wide Grand Assembly Hall.

“…W-What?”

“Ah, my heart almost dropped.”

The elders who were dozing or thinking about other things instantly regained their senses.

“Chief. What is the matter?”

“First, calm the Chief down!”

Forced down by several elders, the cursing Elders’ Hall Chief was made to sit.

One of the elders, who blocked the mouth of the cursing Elders’ Hall Chief, asked in a loud voice.

“Someone explain this!”

The Lord of the Guardianship Court, who was watching that scene with a chuckle, opened his mouth.

“It seems someone wanted to move the Eldest Young Master’s confinement range to the subcommittee and define it at their own discretion.”

“What…?”

It did not take much time for the hall to turn into pandemonium.

* * *

‘They are indeed monsters.’

Elder Yeom shook his head.

Even the elders who usually had no interest at all in the Eldest Young Master were quick to grasp the situation.

However….

“Since things proceed in this manner every time, why do you not know that those belonging to the successor factions are cursed as a whole?!”

“If you hate that, the Third Young Master’s faction should have behaved well in the first place!”

“What?! You follower of the Unorthodox Faction?!”

“An old-born of the already ruined Orthodox Faction only has his mouth alive?!”

The elders belonging to the factions of the Second Young Master and the Third Young Master were on the verge of grabbing each other’s collars.

On top of that, the elders who joined in for half-fun and half-interest added to the chaos, making a mess.

It was an appearance reminiscent of peddlers brawling in the marketplace.

It was a disadvantage of the Elders’ Council meetings, where they could not use internal energy and the contents of the meeting had no chance of leaking outside.

The elder in charge of conducting the meeting approached Elder Yeom’s side and placed his hand on his shoulder.

“…I beg of you, Elder Yeom.”

Elder Yeom let out a large sigh and stood up from his seat.

And slamming his massive fist down, he smashed the desk into two pieces in an instant.

“If you are itching to fight, this Yeom will face anyone.”

For a moment, the movement of the Grand Assembly Hall stopped.

Several elders expressed regret, saying it was already over.

There was also someone who instigated.

However, the hall had already entered a lull.

No one wanted to engage in a collar-grabbing fight with Elder Yeom, who tore apart a bull’s head without an ounce of internal energy.

* * *

Afterward, as the agenda was indeed the agenda, the meeting proceeded in a sensible and serious air.

“Defining the range of confinement in the code is not much of a problem once we reach an agreement. Retrospective application is also not a big problem if we add an exception clause.”

“But the problem is because the subject is the Eldest Young Master, is it not?”

“…It seems many have taken the incident in the Inner Courtyard as the Eldest Young Master’s ‘declaration of refusing confinement’.”

“Wouldn’t they be the elders of the Second Young Master’s and Third Young Master’s factions?”

“Well, if it is the Eldest Young Master, it wouldn’t be strange no matter what he starts at any time.”

“Was the Eldest Young Master that terrifying in the past?”

“…Do not ask. ‘That story’ is practically a taboo even in the Elders’ Hall.”

“Do we really need to restrict the Eldest Young Master’s confinement range now?”

While the elders exchanged conversation, Elder Son of the Second Young Master’s side, whose turn it was to speak, stood at the podium.

“It seems there are still many who do not feel the seriousness of the situation.”

He smiled warmly, wearing a good-natured expression.

“Isn’t it only those belonging to the successor factions who benefit from this agenda?”

At an elder’s question, Elder Son drew closer to the podium.

“What do you know the current status of the Eldest Young Master Yeon So-hyeon to be?”

“That is….”

The face of the elder who was about to answer ‘the Eldest Young Master’ froze.

Elder Yeom’s face also froze.

Normally, he would not have noticed either, but since he had conducted investigations and studies on Yeon So-hyeon recently, he could tell.

“What is it?”

“Someone explain.”

Centering around the elders who had cut off interest in the usually confined Yeon So-hyeon, the clamor grew.

“Elder Yeom. What does that mean?”

At the question of the fellow elder belonging to the same faction beside him, Elder Yeom parted his lips.

“…Have you forgotten? The Eldest Young Master currently possesses the Patriarch’s Official Seal.”

“Why does that….”

The fellow elder’s face froze.

Standing at the podium, Elder Son wore a satisfied expression at the gradually turning heavy air of the hall.

“Now you have all noticed. Strictly speaking, his current status is the Eldest Young Master and also the ‘Acting Patriarch’ of the family.”

“Acting Patriarch?!”

The elders clamored.

“Is he not currently in confinement? If so….”

“Acting Patriarch is a position but also a status at the same time. Currently, the position of Acting Patriarch is performed by the ‘Supreme Executive Council’, but….”

He looked at the hall.

“Even so, we cannot cut off and say the Eldest Young Master’s status is not the Acting Patriarch.”

“Is that true, Lord of the Law Enforcement Court?!”

The Lord of the Law Enforcement Court crossed his arms and nodded.

“…Although there is a bit of stretch, since we know the Eldest Young Master received the Patriarch’s Official Seal directly from the Grand Patriarch, we cannot say the interpretation is wrong.”

“Was he not formally delegated, though?”

“It does not matter.”

An elder stood up and shouted.

“Even if that is so, it is merely a scholarly interpretation! In reality, even if he claims so, who would accept it?!”

A minority nodded.

But the majority shook their heads.

“Think about it.”

One of the elders who shook their heads opened his mouth.

“If the Eldest Young Master grows his strength through activities like now and then claims he is the legitimate Acting Patriarch, what would happen?”

“Would the Supreme Executive Council not make a judgment?”

“What if the Supreme Executive Council denies the Eldest Young Master is the Acting Patriarch, and the Eldest Young Master refuses to submit, saying that is not the Grand Patriarch’s will?”

In an instant, the same word came to everyone’s mind.

Civil war.

Elder Yeom also groaned.

At the even heavier air, Elder Son standing at the podium smiled.

“Now you must have all realized the seriousness.”

The smile on his lips deepened.

“Why this Elders’ Council must place clear restrictions on the Eldest Young Master’s confinement, you must have also understood.”

* * *

A brief recess was declared.

But since it was a brief recess, no one could leave this Grand Assembly Hall.

“Why does the Eldest Young Master still possess the Patriarch’s Official Seal in the first place?”

“Is it not because the Eldest Young Master was confined more quietly than anyone?”

“…Rather than that, the correct words would be that no one could retrieve it.”

“If the Supreme Executive Council had tried to retrieve it in the name of the Grand Patriarch, a huge backlash would have risen, centering around those who know the truth….”

“Even if they had forced it, under the family law, the only ones who can claim ownership of the Sword Family’s Golden Seal are the ‘Patriarch’ and the ‘subject authorized by the Patriarch’.”

“…Neither the Grand Patriarch nor the Supreme Executive Council, which is the current Acting Patriarch, corresponds to that.”

Someone clicked his tongue.

“Crazy. Until now, we were sitting on a Sky-Shaking Thunder and dozing on top of it.”

“No, who would have thought the Eldest Young Master would violate the command the Grand Patriarch last gave him in the first place?”

When the meeting resumed, voices burst out from here and there.

“We must restrict the Eldest Young Master’s confinement range right now!”

“Precisely, we should add and define the term confinement in the Sword Family Code.”

“Start the vote right now!”

But there were also many who remained quiet.

The Inspection Department Head, who had said nothing until now, was also one of them.

He opened his mouth.

“It will be of no use.”

The gazes of the hall gathered on him.

The Elders’ Hall Chief, who was watching calmly, also expressed agreement.

“He is right. The Patriarch of the Main Family is above the family law. That is the same for the Acting Patriarch.”

The Lord of the Guardianship Court and the Lord of the Law Enforcement Court also agreed.

“I agree.”

“If this issue reaches the family court, the court will have no choice but to make the same ruling.”

“If that happens, it will rather help confirm the currently ambiguous position of the Eldest Young Master.”

The elders of the Second Young Master’s and Third Young Master’s factions began to shoot verbal abuse at them all at once.

“Silence! Be silent!”

The shout of the elder in charge of conducting the meeting was of no use.

“Shut your mouths and be quiet, you wretches!”

Only when the Elders’ Hall Chief stood on the desk and yelled did the voices begin to diminish.

“…If so, there is only one way to prevent a civil war.”

Although the voice was as quiet as a monologue, it was enough to silence everyone.

As the Grand Assembly Hall grew quiet, the Inner Courtyard Chief Manager, who received treatment equal to an elder, continued his words.

“Raise this matter to the ‘Supreme Executive Council’.”